


SR

by Swordtheguy



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Depression, Drama, Gen, Homelessness, Hospitals, Living Together, Past Abuse, Roommates, Sad, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-09-13 03:47:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9105340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swordtheguy/pseuds/Swordtheguy
Summary: Spinel Roulston is a depressed, homeless college student who is invited to live with Stevonnie Michalka and First-Name-Not-Known “Smoky” Lyonne in their shared apartment. Things are peaceful, but when Spinel’s past starts knocking at their door, will she continue to run from it, or try to finally get some closure?





	1. Meetings

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Something About Roommates and Girlfriends](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7969258) by [TheLillie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLillie/pseuds/TheLillie). 



> Warning for mentions of past abuse, depression, and suicidal thoughts.

_Cold. Coldness all around._

_She needed to wake up, but she didn’t want to._

_She was cold. Like all the blood had drained out of her._

_Someone was calling her._

_She had to get up…_

* * *

“Ms. Roulston?”

Spinel shifted where she lay as consciousness flooded back into her. She could feel a wet spot on her sleeve where she had been drooling, not to mention the cold metal and wood of the bench she was on.

“Ms. Roulston?”

Spinel pushed off against the bench she had been laying on, rubbing the last dregs of sleepiness out of her eyes. Standing over her was Mr. Kahananui, a guidance counselor for the college.

“Ms. Roulston. Spinel?” he asked in a vaguely practiced manner. Spinel nodded her confirmation without saying anything. “May I ask why you’re asleep, outside, on a school bench?”

“I wasn’t asleep,” she lied, suppressing a yawn. “I was just resting my eyes.”

“Do you usually snore while you ‘just’ rest your eyes?” Mr. Kahananui asked raising an eyebrow.

“Hey, I don’t criticize your resting habits, Mr. K.”

“Hm. True. That’s why I sleep indoors.” He sighed. “May I sit down?”

“Sure,” Spinel said simply as she slid her book bag onto the ground.

Mr. Kahananui sat down next to Spinel, pausing a moment before saying, “You know I’ve tried to be as accommodating to you as possible, Ms. Roulston. But… this crosses a line, I’m afraid.”

“Mr. K, It’s not what you think,” Spinel quickly said, her wits rapidly returning to her. “I’m just out here waiting for my first class of the day.”

“And when's your first class?”

“Nine.”

“And do you know what time it is right now?”

“Uhh… Eight?”

Mr. Kahananui sighed again. “It’s five, Ms. Roulston.”

“Oh,” Spinel replied dully, fully realizing the the orange light above her was coming from a lamppost. “Guess I’m a little early, then…”

“A little.” Another pause. “I’d appreciate an honest answer, now. Why did you leave the housing the school had prepared for you?”

Spinel thought for a moment before answering truthfully, “Because the roommate you set me up with was _terrible_ .” She grimaced at the memory of her time spent with her ex-roommate. “I mean, she was loud and a slob… _And_ a wrestling jock?” She looked down at her feet, adding under her breath, “I’d rather take my chances on the bench…”

“Beggars can’t really be choosers, Ms. Roulston,” Mr. Kahananui said. “Ms. Quartz was kind enough to volunteer the spare room in her apartment to you.”

“Pff… Some good that does if it only makes me want to be back in the ICU…”

“Ms. Roulston, this is a serious matter.”

“Fine, fine.” Spinel threw up her hands. “Tell ‘Ms. Quartz’ that I’ll be back.”

“I’m afraid I can’t. She’s already gotten a new roommate,” Mr. Kahananui said.

“Oh,” Spinel deflated.

“So you see the problem,” Mr. Kahananui said. “I can’t just have you sleeping on benches on school grounds, Ms. Roulston.” He sighed again, though this one seemed less out of frustration and more out having limited options. “If you don’t have anywhere else to stay, then… perhaps you should consider a shelter?”

Spinel felt a chill go down her spine as the word “shelter” left the councilor’s mouth.

_I’d definitely rather be in the ICU…_

“That’s not true, Mr. K. I have… friends I could talk to.”

“You do?”

Spinel nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

Mr. Kahananui was silent for another moment before saying, “Your grades are good, Ms. Roulston. You’re passing all your classes by a healthy margin. To be frank, considering what you’ve been through, that’s kind of amazing.”

“Yeah…” Spinel laid her hand across the back of her other hand. “Well, I like to spend time alone-”

_No you don’t. You hate being alone._

“-so I might as well be productive while I do.”

“Hm. Well, regardless. You really need to find someplace safe to stay. If you need help getting to a shelter…”

“No, I don’t. Like I said, I’ve got some friends I can talk to about it.”

“Alright then, Ms. Roulston,” Mr. Kahananui said as he rose to his feet. “Your class doesn’t start until nine, correct?”

Spinel nodded.

“Then come on. You can stay in the facility lounge by my office until then.”

Spinel got up from the bench, adjusting her knit cap and grabbing her over-stuffed book bag. “Thanks, Mr. K. I… appreciate it.”

Mr Kahananui nodded silently as he began walking back to the main office, Spinel following after him.

* * *

 

“No.”

“Aww, c’mon, Lars,” Spinel pleaded.

“No. Not happening.” Lars took another bite of his sandwich, promoting Spinel to turn her attention.

“Sadie…” she said, plastering a pathetic as possible grin on her face. “Come on. Talk some sense into Lars.”

“Ah, well the thing is, Spinel…” Saide replied, slowly rubbing her shoulder. “I… kinda agree with Lars. I mean, we’re elbow-to-elbow as it is. We just don’t have the room…”

“But I don’t need much room! Everything I own fits in my book bag!” Spinel countered. “Come on, guys…”

Sadie looked away, clearly not wanting to look at Spinel as she delivered the final pronouncement. “I’m sorry, Spinel…”

Spinel melted back into her seat, letting out a long dreary sigh as she began to mentally go over all the places she could potentially get some sleep at tonight.

She glanced over at Lars, “I don’t suppose you could convince your dad to let me have my bench back?”

Lars swallowed the last bite of his sandwich. “Yeah. Probably not.”

“Great…” Spinel sighed as she laid her head against the smooth wooden table. “Well… There’s an overpass just outside of town. If it rains, I might be able to get some cover there…”

“Spinel,” Sadie began, her voice filled with an equal amount of concern and exasperation. “You know we’d let you stay with us if we had the room-”

“Pff… You cut the couches I could sleep on in half. Why’d you have to move in together?”

“Heh, if you figure that out, let me know,” Lars laughed, though his laughter was cut off by Sadie firmly hitting him on the shoulder.

“-but as it stands now,” Sadie continued, “in the apartment, we have a path leading from the door, to the kitchen, and to the bedroom.” She sadly shook her head. “We… just don’t have the space, Spinel. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, yeah… I know, Sadie…”

There was a beat of silence before Sadie softly asked, “I know it’s not ideal, but… why don’t you stay at the shelter? Even just for a while?”

Spinel lifted her head from the table, shooting Sadie a sharp look. “You know why I can’t. Last time I did they-”

_She held me down. Stabbed my hand when I tried to crawl away. Punched me. Kicked me. I felt her hand slip down my shirt-_

“-just gave me a hard time. Harassed me and stuff.” She shrugged. “I don’t need that. Rather sleep in the park with the real hobos.” She planted her head firmly back on the table.

“Spinel…” Sadie sighed.

Silence held for a moment as the sounds of other students in the courtyard went about their business around them. Spinel had closed her eyes and was going through a mental checklist of all the possible places she could sleep tonight when Sadie spoke again.

“Actually, Spinel. I do know some place you can stay.”

Spinel raised her face from the table again. “Yeah?”

Sadie nodded. “Got a new customer at the shop a month or so ago. They come in a few times a week. And, just Monday, they mentioned that they had just moved into an apartment that had a spare room.”

“You’re pawning me off onto one of your donut customers?”

Sadie shook her head wearily. “Would you rather sleep under the overpass?”

A pause.

“Hm. And you think they’d let me stay with them?”

“Maybe. They’re always super cheerful when they come by the shop.” Sadie shrugged. “It couldn’t hurt to ask, right?”

Spinel rested her chin back on the table.

“Yeah. I guess not…”

* * *

 

Spinel sat on the low wall that wound around the outside of the college. Students were passing all around and she had only a vague description of what her new roommate looked like. Her eyes kept jumping from person to person, until she heard someone say her name.

“Spinel?”

Spinel craned her neck around in order to see who was addressing her.

The person held out their hand. “Stevonnie. Nice to meetcha roomie!”

They managed to both live up to and completely ignore the expectations Spinel had built. Their hair was long and bushy, the polar opposite of Spinel’s own. They possessed what could best be described as an athletic build, something that was accentuated by the too-short shirt they wore, despite the cool fall temperatures. Spinel noted a pink, gemstone piercing on their navel.

“Hey,” Spinel replied simply. “Spinel. Guess I owe ya for getting me out of the cold.” She took Stevonnie’s hand into her own and Stevonnie treated her to a firm handshake.

“Ah, right. It’s no problem.” Stevonnie’s eyes were drawn to the paper ring around Spinel’s wrist. “Is… that your bracelet from your stay at the hospital?”

Spinel quickly withdrew her hand, drawing the cuff of her sweatshirt to hide the bracelet. “Yeah, it… it is.”

Stevonnie’s expression quickly melted into one of shocked embarrassment. “Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” They grimaced at their bare feet.

“It’s alright. No harm done.”

"Yeah... So I guess Sadie gave you the low-down on the apartment situation?" Stevonnie asked.

Spinel raised an eyebrow.

_Great. This is where the catch comes in._

"Besides that you have an apartment to share, no."

"I do, I do," Stevonnie assured, seeming to sense Spinel's growing scepticism. "It's just... I also already have a roommate. Their name's-... Uh, huh. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure what their name actually is..." Stevonnie shook their head. "But everyone calls them Smoky."

"Smoky."

"Yeah, but they're really nice. A lot of fun to hang around. And they have some of the best yo-yo tricks I've ever seen," Stevonnie said. "The apartment's two bedrooms, but we still have a couch you can use... if you're still interested, of course."

Spinel paused only a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I'm still in."

_Not like I have many opinions._

Stevonnie nodded in return. "Good, good," they said. “And I guess I should probably mention that Sadie did tell me that you just got out of the hospital a few days ago. Do you, like… is there a follow-up you need to schedule or…?”

“No. Just some pain medicine I’m working through.” Spinel shook her head. “Nothing super strong though. I’ll let you see it first, if you want.”

Stevonnie held up their hands “No, no. That’s alright.” They rubbed the back of their neck. “Sorry. I can be a little nosey sometimes…” A beat of silence. “So…”

Spinel sighed internally. “Someone jumped me, took a knife to me a few times and then dumped me in an alley. Some altruistic soul saw me bleeding out on top of a garbage bag and called 911.”

“Oh, wow…” Stevonnie whispered. “That’s… that’s horrible, Spinel.”

She shrugged. “No point dwelling on it.”

“Man, you’re pretty resilient then, huh?”

“Haven’t been shattered yet.”

“Did you… see who attacked you?”

She bit her tongue.

“Spinel?”

“No. They got me from behind. Never got a good look at their face.”

“Ah, that’s unfortunate. Can’t report them to the police or anything,” Stevonnie said. “And… you’re alright?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Silence hung between them for a few uncomfortably long seconds before Stevonnie spoke again.

“Yeah, I just kinda moved into town,” they said.

“Yeah?”

Stevonnie nodded. “Mom and Dad grew up around here. Thought I’d see what it’s like, you know?” They smiled broadly. “That, and I just love the beach. Some of my earliest memories are running around the beach during twilight.”

“Sounds great,” Spinel said. “I’m kinda new around here myself. Just moved here last year or so.”

“Where’d you come from?”

“A… long ways aways.”

“I see…” Stevonnie trailed off. “Well, I guess let’s head to the apartment, if you’re ready.”

“Everything I own is in my bag,” Spinel answered. “I’m always ready.”

“Great. I’m parked just over here.” Stevonnie pointed and then began to walk towards the parking lot.

Spinel followed them, looking up and down the row of vehicles, trying to guess which one Stevonnie will stop in front of.

“Hey, Spinel. Can… I ask one more nosy question?”

“I guess…”

“What’s the SR written on your hospital band mean?”

Again, Spinel bit her tongue.

“If you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to,” Stevonnie quickly said. “I… was just wondering…”

“No, it’s okay. It just stands for-”

_Suicide risk_

“-Spinel Roulston. They’re my initials.”

“Really…” Stevonnie said, their tone saying that they either weren’t satisfied or didn’t believe her.

“Yep. My parents were weird. Though, it seems like there are a lot of people around town with gemstone names…”

“Hmm… Well, I guess I’ll see that once I get to know more people.”

They walked together in silence for awhile before Stevonnie stopped in front of a dirty white car. Spinel noted that the doors were locked, but the windows were rolled down regardless.

“‘96 Supremo,” Stevonnie said proudly. “It was my Dad’s, but I cleaned it up and got it running again.”

“Nice, I suppose. Sorry, don’t really know much about cars.”

“Heh, that’s alright. It’s more of a personal victory, then anything.” They clicked the button on their keychain, unlocking the doors. “Though… the windows don’t roll up. I hope that isn’t a problem.”

“Nah, it’s fine.” Spinel opened the passenger side and threw her book bag into the back seat. “It’s been a few days since I’ve showered, so open windows might be a good idea.”

Stevonnie got into the driver's seat, pushing the keys into the ignition and then buckling the seatbelt around them. “That’s alright. Once we get to the apartment, you can fix that straight away.” They turned the key, starting the car. “Still though. I apologize for the chill you’re about to experience.”

“It’s alright,” Spinel said as she hung her arm out the door, the paper bracelet just barely visible past the cuff of her sleeve.

“I’m used to the cold.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been catching up on [TheLillie's](http://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLillie/pseuds/TheLillie) excellent Something about Roommates and Girlfriends. And after I read the last chapter a single thought crept into my mind:
> 
> "I wonder what Spinel would be like in this AU?"
> 
> The answer? She ain't doing great.


	2. Living Arrangements

_Where am I?_

_There’s a light somewhere, and… something. Something or other is rattling around._

_Am I… on a bench? Or maybe curled under a tree?_

_No. It’s too soft and I’m not wearing my hoodie._

_Wait-!_

* * *

 

Spinel hurriedly sat up, the springs of the couch squeaking in response. She wasn’t on a bench or curled under a tree. She was in the simply decorated apartment that she had fallen asleep in. The light was coming from across the room, in the open walled kitchen. There was a figure bustling around inside. In her groggy state of mind, it took Spinel a moment to remember who it was.

“Morning, sleepy head,” Smoky called as they continued looking through cabinets, pulling out a bowl and whisk.

“Morning,” Spinel mumbled back, still doing her best to get her bearings. “What time is it?” Spinel turned and glanced out the window behind her, answering her own question. The sun had fully risen over the horizon.

“‘Bout… 9:30… I think? I dunno. Just got up myself when Stevonnie told me they were going to the store,” Smoky answered, opening the refrigerator.

“Why’d they go to the store?”

“Get some groceries, dude,” Smoky said. “We’re gonna cook you up a ‘Welcome to the Apartment’ breakfast.” They considered the bowl on the counter in front of them. “You like pancakes, right? Or are you a waffle person? Ah, don’t answer. I’ll make both.” They tapped their chin. “I’m pretty sure we still have that waffle iron…”

Spinel didn’t say anything at first. In truth, like most mornings, she didn’t really feel that hungry. Instead, she felt a vague sense of nervousness and nausea. Like most mornings.

Before she could say anything, a loud knock at the door cut Spinel off.

“Ugh. Can ya get that? Probably someone from The Bugle trying to get us to buy a subscription.” Smoky was placing eggs onto the counter.  “Tell ‘em it’s 2017 and no one reads the paper anymore.”

Spinel nodded numbly as she got up from the couch and stretched, trying to shake off any lingering sleepiness. She bent down and grabbed her hoodie off the ground, slipping it over her head and feeling a sense of relief when her arms no longer felt uncovered.

She began walking to the door, pausing only a moment to grab and put on her knit hat that sat at the end of the couch.

“Ya cold, dude? I can turn the heat on, if ya need it.”

Spinel glanced at Smoky. She believed them when they said they had just gotten up. Their thick, dark hair was mess and their sleep clothes covered their modesty and not much else. Spinel noted Smoky had a similar gem piercing on their navel like Stevonnie, though Smoky’s was darker colored.

“Nah, I'm good. Just… might as well greet people with how I normally look.”

Spinel opened the door. An older woman (older than Spinel, at least) stood on the other side. Neatly dressed, glasses, and hair pulled into a tight ponytail, she looked exactly like the type of person Spinel would try to avoid at a party.

The woman’s eyes were shut when Spinel opened the door, “Ah, Stevonnie. It’s rent ti-” The woman opened her eyes and, after taking a single look at Spinel, her eyes grew wide with surprise. Her mouth hung open just slightly.

If Spinel didn’t match her expression, she at least felt similar to how the women looked.

“Are-... Are you with The Bugle?” Spinel asked, knowing it was a stupid question.

“No. I’m the landlord,” the woman answered simply.

Spinel felt another shot of panic shoot through her. If this was the landlord, and she was having this reaction to Spinel’s presence, then it was pretty clear Stevonnie _hadn’t_ cleared with her.

Which meant, Spinel considered with a sense of dread, she was probably about to be booted out.

Before Spinel could say a single word to her defense however, she was pushed out of the way by Smoky, who had come barreling from the kitchen.

“Heeey, Opal,” they said, a large, somewhat forced grin on their face. “What’s up?”

With a last glance at Spinel, the woman- Opal, turned her focus to Smoky.

“It’s rent day,” Opal answered. “Where’s Stevonnie?”

“They stepped out. Getting some supplies for breakfast,” Smoky said.

“I see…” Opal sighed. “Then I suppose you don’t have the rent?”

“No, we have rent,” Smoky said. “Why wouldn’t we?”

Opal shook her head and then readjusted her glasses. “Because whenever I catch you here and Stevonnie’s not, then you always say that _they_ have the rent.”

Smoky awkwardly grinned, rubbing the back of their head. “Yeah, well that’s not a problem today. _I’m_ paying rent. In full.”

“Really?” Opal asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah. I kinda owe Stev for getting the rent the last two months… or was it three?” Smoky grinned. “Uh, anyway. Yeah. I got the rent. Here.” They gave Spinel a firm pat on the back. “I’mma going to get it. You two get to know each other a bit, yeah?” They laughed. “I’ll right back.”

Smoky left, leaving Spinel alone with Opal.

Spinel had never been good with small talk, but this was especially true when one of the participants were boring holes into her with their pointed gaze.

“Soo…” Spinel trailed off. “You’re the landlord? Er, or maybe landlady?”

“Landlord,” Opal replied flatly. “People only call me landlady when they want to dismiss my authority.”

“Ah, right! Of course, I… get that,” Spinel said hastily. “ _I’m_ not trying to… dismiss your authority. Or anything…”

“Right,” Opal said. “So, how long have you known Stevonnie?”

Spinel thought briefly about lying, but the heavy look Opal was giving her made it fairly clear that she would probably see through any attempts.

“Well, only about two days, now,” Spinel answered.

“Two days?” Opal asked. “Stevonnie let you stay with them _and_ Smoky after _two_ days?”

“Um, well… A mutual friend of ours asked on my behalf if I could stay with them, so…”

Opal slowly shook her head. “I swear, Stevonnie has a compassionate streak a mile wide. It’s gonna get them in trouble one of these days.”

Spinel wasn’t sure how to respond to that and was struggling to string together a sentence when, mercifully, something outside the apartment caught Opal’s attention.

Opal turned on her heel and began away. For a moment, Spinel considered whether or not to follow. On one hand, it wasn’t any of her business and frankly, breaking away from Opal as soon as possible would be ideal. But in the other hand, the expression on Opal’s face as she left had been a pretty intense one. And Spinel _did_ always like a fight.

Peeking around past the doorframe before stepping out completely, Spinel saw Opal confronting another woman. She was young-ish. Maybe a handful of years older than Spinel. Two things stood out about her appearance. First, she looked rather… well, good. Neat blonde hair framed her attractive face. She had a lithe figure, her clothes looking like they had been custom tailored to fit her perfectly.

The second thing Spinel noticed however, was the extreme amount of yellow the woman was wearing. Her slacks, her blouse, even the wedge heels she wore all mixed to give a very unusual yellow glow.

“Didn’t I tell you to get out once before?” Opal asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

Yellow twisted her mouth into a barely held in check scowl, before answering, “I’m not here for you. I’m just looking for someone.”

“More like you’re here to harass one of my tenants, all while disturbing the others with your wailing and banging on the door,” Opal countered.

Yellow tried to sidestep around Opal, trying to get close to the door next to Stevonnie and Smoky’s apartment door. However, Opal was too quick for her, stepping in between Yellow and the door.

Her brow furrowed in anger. “Do you _know_ who I am?” she said in a way that was perfectly reflective of her upbringing.

Opal was undisturbed. “I don’t give a rat’s ass who you are. I talked to her and confirmed she didn’t want anything to do with you.”

“This is _none_ of your business,” Yellow said in a venomous whisper.

“She’s _my_ tenant, these are _my_ apartments, and you’re disrupting them. So, yes. This _is_ my business. And I suggest you scram before I call the cops.”

Yellow bared her teeth, as if she were about to attack, before she seemed to notice Spinel’s presence for the first time. Her eyes lingered on her for a moment before she turned and began stomping off to the stairs leading to the ground floor.

Opal watched her until she was out of sight.

“Crazy…” she muttered, turning around. Her lips were pursed as she walked back towards the apartment and Spinel.

“So… Is that a regular occurrence?” Spinel asked smirking, though only half jokingly.

“No, it’s not,” Opal replied firmly. “That crazy - _mphm_ \- came around a few days before, causing a ruckus and harassing one of my tenants.”

“Next door?”

Opal nodded. “I don’t know what their beef is exactly and frankly, I don’t care. But it’s my job to keep a semblance of peace here and I’m going to do that.”

“Well… it’s good to know you take your job seriously.”

“Yeah.” Opal reached into her back pocket, removing her cell phone. The screen flicked on and Opal frowned at it. “Great. I’m late for the gym. Sug’s never going to let me hear the end of it.” She slipped the phone back into her pocket. “Well, it was good meeting you Spinel.” She began walking away. “Apartment rules are pretty simple: don’t set anything on fire.” She gave a curt wave over her shoulder.

“Ah, okay. Easy to remember, at least,” Spinel said. “I’ll, uh… see you, Opal.” Spinel wasn’t sure what to say, but she was at least glad that this meeting was over. She could probably still catch a bit of sleep before her shift started.

“Sorry, to keep ya waiting Opal, but-” Smoky slid to a stop next to Spinel. “Uh, what happened?”

“She chased away this woman who wanted to talk to another tenant.”

“Dressed mainly in yellow?”

Spinel nodded.

“Ah, damn. Her again,” Smoky hit their forehead. “Where’s Opal now?”

“She… left.”

“Dammit! Opal, wait! Ya forgot the rent again!” Smoky quickly gave chase down the stairs.

Spinel paused, blinked blearily at the events that had just happened, before turning and shutting the door behind her as she trudged back towards the couch. She flopped down onto it, laying down on it as she reached over to the end table and plucked her cell phone and headphones from it.

Her cell phone wasn’t fancy. An older model, out of date by several years, but it was cheap to pay for and Spinel only really used it for texting and listening to music. The latter was on her mind as she unwrapped her headphones cord from around the phone. She placed the buds in each ear, pressed the ‘shuffle’ button. After a short pause, a guitar rift began to play, followed by lyrics:

  
_Ha-ha-ha, this is about you_

 

_Beware, beware, be skeptical_

_Of their smiles, their smiles of plated gold_

_Deceit so natural_

_But a wolf in sheep's clothing is more than a warning_

 

What seemed like only a few seconds (though, it had to have been longer because a different song was playing now) Spinel felt a tap on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and took both the buds out.

Stevonnie was standing over her, a cheerful smirk spread across their face.

“ _Heh_ , well good morning again, sleepy-head,” they said.

“I didn’t fall asleep,” Spinel muttered as she stretched and sat up, shoving her phone and headphones into her hoodie pocket.

“Is _that_ why I heard snoring coming from over there?” Smoky’s voice came from somewhere. They must still be in the kitchen.

In fact, Spinel could smell a very heavenly smell wafting around. It smelled fresh and sweet and savory all at once. Spinel heard her stomach growl in anticipation.

Stevonnie laughed, putting a hand on Spinel’s shoulder. “Hungry, right? Don’t worry about that. Smoky’s going to have you covered there.”

“More like, ‘Smoky’s gotcha covered now!” Smokey approached them, two plates balanced in their hands and one plate balanced precariously on their arm. Stevonnie took two of the plates, on that was in their hand and the one that was on their arm. Smoky handed the remaining plate to Spinel, who took it gratefully.

True to their word, Smoky had provided her a generous stack of of both waffles and pancakes, not to mention several strips of perfectly cooked, crispy bacon.

Spinel spared a glance at her eating companions plates. While Smoky’s plate was stacked just as much as Spinel’s was, Stevonnie’s was much more modest. A single waffle and only two strips of bacon. Seeing their smaller portions made Spinel feel vaguely guilty.

Stevonnie seemed to pick up on Spinel’s feelings, as they flashed a small grin. “I’m meeting some friends for lunch later. Can’t be too full.” They munched on a piece of bacon as they continued. “Hey, why don’t you join me? Sadie will be there.”

“Um, that’s alright,” Spinel said. “I’ve gotta work and… I get nervous in large groups.”

Stevonnie shot another piece of bacon into their mouth. “Alright. Well, I’ll pass along a hello to Sadie for you.”

Spinel nodded silently as she looked down at her plate, trying to decide what to taste first.

“Here ya go, dude.” Spinel looked up and Smoky was handing her a fork.

Spinel took the utensil and used it to tear off a piece of the waffle. She looked at the bit for a moment, the brown, gooey maple syrup glinting just a little in the light and the white-ish yellow of melted butter that was mixed into it.

Spinel could feel her mouth start to water.

She put the syrupy bit in her mouth, taking a moment to savor is taste. It was _amazing_ , tasting doughy with a crispy texture, the sweet of the syrup complementing the starchiness.

It felt like minutes before Spinel before swallowed the bite. She it knew it couldn’t have been _that_ long, but when she looked back up both Smoky and Stevonnie were looking at her with bemused looks on their faces.

“Pretty good, huh?” Smoky asked as she took another bite of her waffle.

“It’s really good,” Spinel said slowly, unable to believe that she was getting this worked up over _breakfast_. Though, to be fair, this was the first warm meal she’d gotten in weeks.

“Smoky’s a master chef,” Stevonnie said as they as they wiped a bit of maple syrup off the corner of their mouth. “I love it, but I gotta be careful. I’ve got to stay fit, otherwise I’m likely to be booted off the fencing and track team.”

Smoky laughed after another huge bite of pancake and bacon. “Obviously, I don’t have that problem.” They patted their ample stomach. “Life’s short, ya know? And it’s full of great food. Might as well get while the gettin's good.”

“I can’t argue with that,” Spinel said, letting a piece of bacon rest on her tongue. “Not if it nets me more meals like this.”

“You stick with us bud, and I’ll make sure to keep ya hooked up like this,” Smoky grinned. “There ain’t no starving in this apartment.”

Spinel snorted to herself. That was good to know. Certainly a change from how things had been.

“So, Spinel. Did you sleep alright last night?” Stevonnie asked. Their plate was already empty and sat aside on the coffee table.

“Yeah,” Spinel answered after another bite. “After I laid down and closed my eyes, I dozed right off.” Spinel kept the fact of the nightmares to herself, however.

Stevonnie’s gaze lingered for a moment, before they got up, grabbing their empty plate as they did, and headed to the kitchen. “That’s good. I know that couch can’t be too comfortable.”

“That’s alright. Lord knows it’s better then my sleeping arrangements for the last… month.”

“So… You’ve been… ya know, homeless for a month already?” Smoky asked cautiously. Spinel wasn’t really surprised. Due in no small part to her age (and the fact that she was a woman) people always tended to get very delicate when discussing her homelessness. Mr. Kahananui, and the rest of the councilors at the college had been the same way.

“Longer then that. But, it’s alright. I’m not about to burst into tears over it. I was homeless. Still am technically, I guess.”

“You don’t have to say that,” Stevonnie called from the kitchen. “You can stay with us as long as you need to. Or want to. Right, Smokes?”

“Hell, yeah. Don’t feel like ya ever have to leave, bud,” they said. “Though… I mean, I wouldn’t argue if you wanted to chip in on rent.”

“Smoky! Come on.”

“Hey, it’s just a thought. And you know how Opal can harp on us.”

“I know, but Spinel just got here. And besides-”

“No, they’re right,” Spinel broke in. “If I’m living here, it’s only fair I chip in something for meals and rent.” She glanced down at her plate and noticed it was starting to get noticeably empty. “How much _is_ rent?”

“About thirteen hundred a month,” Stevonnie answered, still in the kitchen. “Though… in truth, Opal hasn’t gotten that much in a while now.”

“Yeah. Stev and I work part time and… between food, and internet, and school expenses we… usually come up short,” Smoky said.

“Hm. Well, then you know what guys? Next month? We’re going to be paying Opal the rent. In full,” Spinel said, jabbing her fork into the last piece of waffle and eating it triumphantly.

“ _Haha_! I like it!” Smoky said enthusiastically. “That’ll probably knock Opal’s socks off.”

“True, though you know how tightly round she is,” Stevonnie said, joining them in the living area again. “Hopefully she doesn’t have a heart attack, or something.”

“Hey. That just means we’d be living rent free until she got out of the hospital.”

“Smokey!” Stevonnie said, though they broke into a hearty laugh which Smoky joined them in.

Spinel didn’t laugh. All she did was look down at her now empty plate, smiling.

This felt good. It felt _right_.

Spinel rose from her seat, plate in hand. She started to head to the kitchen. “I’m going to wash my plate and then I’m heading out for work.”

“It’s alright, bud. Just leave it in the sink,” Smoky said. “Stev and I are gonna do kitchen clean up before I leave.”

Spinel did so, placing her plate in sink and taking a moment to marvel and appreciate the mess Smoky had made in the small kitchen. She knew that she should probably stay and help clean, but she was pushing her schedule as it was, especially with how unreliable the buses could be.

Spinel grabbed her bookbag from beside the door and slung it over her shoulder. “I’ll talk to you guys later.”

“Bye, Spinel. Have a good day.”

“Yeah, dude. See ya around.”

With one last look over at them, a small smile on her lips, Spinel opened the door headed for work, feeling better than she had in quite a while.

* * *

* * *

Spinel stumbled into the apartment, barely able to form coherent thoughts. Smoky sat on the sat the couch, their laptop resting in the lap and Stevonnie was at the small kitchen table, a textbook and papers spread around it.

“So how was work?” Stevonnie asked, only glancing up from their papers.

Spinel looked looked over at them.

In truth, work had been as it always had been. A tiring and emotionally draining hellscape, filled with customers who didn’t understand the concept of looking up at the boards that hung from ceiling, telling them what every aisle in the store held; a fate made only bearable by the not-terrible pay and the fact that Spinel got a discount at the deli.

“Not bad,” Spinel replied dully.

It wasn’t a complete lie. Work aside, Spinel did feel fairly good, at least compared to how she had felt in a while. Having a stable living space helped, not waking up damp from dew did as well.

“That’s good,” Stevonnie said, scribbling something on a piece of paper and turning the page of her textbook.

Spinel looked back over at Smoky, who was vigorously typing away with one hand and fishing a piece of pizza into their mouth with the other.

Leftover pizza sounded pretty good, actually. But first, she needed to do something about the fact that she felt dead on her feet.

“I’ma take a shower. Save me some of the pizza, Smoky.”

Smoky held the piece of pizza in their mouth, flashing Spinel a thumbs up, before going back to their meal and whatever project they were working on.

Spinel began shuffling down the hall, dropping her bookbag next to the kitchen table as she did.

She turned into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Spinel then began undressing, taking off her work shirt, then her long sleeved undershirt.

She caught her eye in the sink mirror and frowned at her reflection.

_I’m just undressing. In a bathroom. In the apartment that I live in. With Smoky and Stevonnie._

She felt her heart beat faster. She took deep breaths, trying her best to keep herself under control. She couldn’t let this happen every single time she was alone.

More breaths, more calming thoughts, and she began to feel herself get under control again, at least to a degree.

Her clothes discarded to the ground, Spinel pulled the shower curtain back and stepped into the shower. She started the water and after a bit of fiddling with the knobs, got the water temperature right where she wanted it. Nice and warm, borderline hot. Most would probably find it uncomfortable, but to Spinel it felt great. Maybe too many nights taking cold showers in shelters or crummy motel rooms, or maybe Spinel just liked the way the droplets of warm/hot water felt against her bare skin.

And so for minutes on end, Spinel just stood there. Not washing herself, not grabbing the shampoo bottle, even though her hair desperately needed it. She just stood there. Relaxing and unwinding.

For a moment, she thought she heard something. The sound of the shower curtain rustling. But then their was silence, stillness, save for the water coming from the showerhead.

Spinel stood relaxing under the water for a few more seconds before she began to reach for the body soap-

-only to feel a pair of hands slinking around her naked form. One went high, resting across her chest while the other, went low, far lower. Another body pressed against her back and she felt a pair of lips rest against her ear.

The whole experience was intense, leaving her breathless. She could feel her heart beating faster and faster in her chest, her breathing grew more ragged.

She wanted to be able to move her arms, to brush the hands away or…

But she couldn’t. She couldn’t even catch her breath.

_“Mmm… Well… Have I told you that you look damn sexy naked?”_

Spinel shook her head.

_“Cause it’s true.”_

The hands squeezed just a little, sending more shots of pleasure through Spinel body.

_“Come on. Hurry up and get clean, so we can get dirty all over again.”_

Spinel turned her head towards the voice. She saw a strand of bleached white hair lying against her shoulder.

“Yes. I… alright.”

But as soon as the words left her mouth, the sensation, the feeling of the hands and the other body were gone. She was alone, in the shower.

And she had said yes. Again. She just couldn’t help herself…

Spinel hurried over to the knobs, turning the shower off. But before she could stand back up, fell backwards, hitting her back against the shower wall.

And she sat there. Mouth trembling, barely able to process what happened. She began to cry, but was barely aware of it, until the deep, ragged sobbing began.

She stayed in the now cold shower, crying and sobbing, and desperately trying to figure out _why_ this was happening to her. She might have stayed there all night, were it not for Smoky knocking on the door asking if she were alright.

Doing her best to clear her head, Spinel quickly dried off, changing into a set of sleep clothes that Stevonnie had let her borrow. She grabbed her hoodie, which had been hanging on a hook on the door and slid it over her head, once again feeling less exposed.

She opened the door, her dirty clothes in hand. Smoky was waiting by the door, a concerned expression on their face.

“Are you alright, dude?” they asked.

Spinel shrugged lightly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just… relaxing in the shower.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to ~~a~~ popular demand I’ve decided to continue this series, at least in my off my time. But yeah, we’ll see how this goes.


End file.
